MILFORD ­-- The new "public face" of the Milford public schools is tall, gray-haired and distinguished looking, but has a ready smile.

Elizabeth Feser, who began as the city's newest school superintendent on Monday, said she looks forward to a long tenure. "I'm very committed to Milford," she said. "I have relocated here. I am a resident. I plan to be part of the community and to build relationships."

The city has had five school superintendents in the past decade, including interim appointments. Feser, who had been the schools chief in Windsor until last month, said she is not ready to set goals, but acknowledged much good work has already been done here. "I don't want to presuppose anything, and every school system can be improved," she said.

But Feser said the mainstreaming of students with special needs, larger class sizes and the space constraints presented by some of the facilities presents the school district with challenges.

"I am also gravely concerned about the potential reduction of $1.9 million in funding for local education," she said. "That will have to result in significant reductions in staff, most, if not all of which, will impact student learning." The new superintendent said she plans to take part in the budget meeting between the Board of Education and the Board of Aldermen later this month.

Feser has attended most school board meetings here since her appointment was announced in December. Her office on Wednesday still had that moving-in feel, with some boxes waiting to be opened and several floral arrangements on her credenza. Another, with a large smiley-face balloon, was on the floor in front of her desk. The new superintendent has oriented her desk so that she can see out into the main office and reception area. Previous superintendents sat facing the fireplace, out of the public's line of sight.

Feser said planning has already begun to add some high-school-level courses in the city's middle schools and create online courses for high school students. Requiring 25 to 27 credits for a high school diploma by 2018 remains the goal.

Efforts to link teacher performance to student test scores are moving forward at the state level, and Feser said that issue is a complex one. "The complexity comes in because not everyone is starting at the same point. How do you measure the performance of a teacher by the test scores of an entire class?" she said. "But maybe looking at the changes in test scores of individual students will be helpful. Test scores are a snapshot of one given day and they are only part of the whole picture."

Feser ended her tour of all 14 school buildings Wednesday with a visit to The Academy alternative high school. A visit earlier this week to Jonathan Law High School had barely begun when the fire alarm rang and students, teachers and the new superintendent stood outside in the rain, getting to know each other.

Once the elementary school students got the idea of what a superintendent does, their first questions were about snow days, Feser said. "I told them that if we have more, they'll be getting done with the school year later."

And one little boy, who was enrolled in school here Monday, recognized the common ground with the superintendent. "He told me, "I'm new here, too," Feser said.